KUWAIT CITY, Sept 18:  In the inaugural Gulf Cricket Championship held in Doha, the Kuwaiti cricket team faced a defeat on Monday at the hands of their Qatari counterparts. The final score saw Qatar victorious with 156 runs, while Kuwait managed 155 runs.

Unfortunately, this loss denied the Kuwaiti team two valuable points they had hoped to secure from the host nation, leaving them with a total of four points in the tournament. Their journey in the championship had started on a high note with a narrow win against the Saudi team, achieving a score of 143 to 142. Following this, they triumphed over Bahrain with a score of 124 to 123.

Captain Mahmoud Abdullah, the team manager, expressed his thoughts to Kuwait News Agency after the match. He acknowledged the team's commendable performance against the Qatari hosts but attributed the loss to a stroke of bad luck, preventing them from securing a third consecutive victory.

Captain Abdullah remained optimistic about the upcoming match against the UAE team. He stated that the players would step up their game to compensate for the recent loss and aim to accumulate more points to secure a spot in the tournament's final.

The Gulf Cricket Championship employs a league system, where points are crucial. The top two teams with the highest points will advance to the final round, ultimately determining the tournament's champion.

Looking ahead, the Kuwaiti cricket team is set to face the UAE national team in their next fixture. The Gulf Cricket Championship, hosted by Qatar, commenced yesterday and is scheduled to run until the 23rd of this month.